MIDTERM ELECTIONS are always a referendum on the sitting American president, but rarely has an incumbent so wilfully put himself in the spotlight in defiance of his own unpopularity.(中期选举向来是对现任总统的公投，但很少有在任者如此执意无视自己的不受欢迎，硬要站到聚光灯下。) As the campaign ends, Donald Trump is commandeer(强占；征用)ing rallies in Republican stronghold(据点；票仓)s, a sign of his party’s vulnerability and his unwavering(毫不动摇的) faith in his own star power(明星魅力；明星效应). Away from the spotlight, however, something more surprising—and more important—has been happening: Hispanics and Asians have emerged as America’s most valuable voters.
中期选举向来是对现任美国总统的一次公投，但很少有哪位在任总统会如此执意地无视自己的不受欢迎，硬要站到聚光灯下。竞选接近尾声，唐纳德·特朗普正在共和党票仓大搞集会，这既表明其政党的脆弱，也显示他对自身明星魅力毫不动摇的信念。然而，在聚光灯之外，更令人意外、也更重要的事情正在发生：拉美裔和亚裔已成为美国最有价值的选民。
The curse of American politics is its bitter partisanship(党派偏见；党派对立). As voters have sorted themselves along racial, educational and geographical lines, the parties have spent less time trying to win convert(皈依者；改变立场者)s from the other side and more whipping their own supporters into a permanent frenzy: 70% of Republicans are hostile towards Democrats and more than 80% of Democrats return the favour(回敬；以同样方式回报). The result is a style of politics that tugs public life towards the extremes, punishes compromise and puts getting people angry above getting things done.(其结果是一种把公共生活拉向极端、惩罚妥协、把激怒民众置于做成实事之上的政治风格。)
美国政治的祸根在于尖锐的党派对立。随着选民按种族、教育程度和地域自行归类，两党花在争取对方阵营皈依者上的时间越来越少，而花在煽动本党支持者陷入永久狂热上的时间越来越多：70%的共和党人对民主党人心怀敌意，超过80%的民主党人则以敌意回敬。其结果是一种把公共生活拉向极端、惩罚妥协、把激怒民众置于做成实事之上的政治风格。
Hispanic and Asian-American voters offer the best hope of arrest(遏制；阻止)ing this baleful(有害的；恶意的) trend. They have become America’s crucial swing voter(摇摆选民)s, with an outsize(超大的；巨大的) impact on races across the country. Compared with other blocs, their numbers are growing faster, their ideology is more fluid and their priorities are less divisive.(与其他群体相比，他们人数增长更快，意识形态更具流动性，政治优先事项也不那么分裂。) That means they are likely to be good for America not just in these midterms, but also for many elections to come.
拉美裔和亚裔选民为遏制这一有害趋势提供了最大希望。他们已成为美国关键的摇摆选民，对全国各地的选战产生巨大影响。与其他群体相比，他们人数增长更快，意识形态更具流动性，政治优先事项也不那么分裂。这意味着他们不仅可能在此次中期选举中、而且在未来许多次选举中都有益于美国。